New GenEd program possible

The Honors program proposed changing the 41-credit-hour GenEd curriculum to 27 credit hours for Honors scholars.

The Honors curriculum proposal is in the very early stages of what will be an extended development and approval process, said Linda Cabe Halpern, dean of the General Education department.

Joanne Gabbin, director of the Honors program, said, "We are looking to have a series of five or six classes."

Halpern said, "We all expect that there will be ongoing revision of the proposal as these discussions get under way. It is highly unlikely that any new curriculum could be approved this academic year."

Gabbin said many Honors students come into JMU with a lot of Advanced Placement credits and these students sometimes are exempt from, or test out of, GenEd classes.

Students involved in the new program will participate in field trips, special events and attend lectures, Gabbin said.

Halpern said, "If the Honors program can demonstrate that Honors students are able to meet those learning outcomes through some other set of courses, then approval of their alternative General Education Program would be possible."

Senior Honors student Jessica Norman said, "I enjoyed some of the [GenEd] classes, but I felt that many were just a waste of time. Few of them related to my major, and I felt that it took away from the focus of my major."